Ryanair Shuts Berlin Brandenburg Base on October 24 as Airport Chief Warns of 'Heavy Blow'

Ryanair will close its base at Berlin Brandenburg Airport on October 24, cutting flights by around half and removing about 2.5 million seats a year, airport chief executive Aletta von Massenbach said. The base involves seven aircraft and their crews. Aviationpros reported von Massenbach's remarks.

Von Massenbach Calls Ryanair Cuts a Heavy Blow

Von Massenbach said the closure would push passenger numbers down as early as this year. BER expects to handle 25.7 million passengers in 2026, down from 26.1 million last year, a decline she described as the "Ryanair effect." For 2027, the airport expects a further decline to 25 million to 25.2 million passengers, against an original expectation of up to 27 million.

"This is a heavy blow," von Massenbach said, referring to Ryanair's announcement. She said the loss of Ryanair passengers would be cushioned by other airlines but not fully offset, and that the airport would respond with a round of cost-cutting, with all costs under review and investments being delayed.

Ryanair will continue to fly to the German capital but will lose around half of its previous offering, she said. Von Massenbach said she understood the "frustration" at Ryanair over high costs in Germany, and that she interpreted the criticism as primarily directed at the national government: "Everything they say against BER, they say against Germany." The aviation industry has long complained about Germany's comparatively high taxes and fees, blaming them for the country's sluggish recovery in air traffic since the Covid-19 pandemic compared with the rest of Europe.

Ryanair's Aircraft Relocation to Sweden and Albania

According to akta.pro company records, Ryanair announced the closure of its Berlin airport base and the relocation of seven aircraft to lower-cost bases in Sweden and Albania in response to a 50% increase in Berlin airport fees since 2019. The same records list Ryanair's FY2026 passengers carried at 208.4 million, up 4% year on year, group revenue at €15.54 billion, down 11% from the prior year, and record after-tax profit at €2.26 billion, up 40% year on year.

Earlier Ryanair Network Changes

Ryanair said on October 18, 2026 that it will cease all UK flights to Bremen from April 2027, removing about 500,000 seats from its network, according to EIN Presswire. On October 15, 2026, Investegate reported that Ryanair announced a new 2-aircraft base in Rimini for Summer 2027, backed by a $200 million investment, offering 600,000 low-fare seats across 17 routes. On October 16, 2026, Travel And Tour World reported that Ryanair unveiled its largest winter 2026 schedule from Kraków, operating 67 routes with 16 aircraft, three more than the previous year.

Ryanair's Berlin Base Closure Date

The airline will continue to fly to the German capital after that date.